Advice from the ultra-successful tends to lean heavily on themes like hard work and passion.
Fair enough. But it's tough to develop a career to-do list based on those philosophies alone. What steps are truly necessary to achieving your professional goals?
Uniquely well-positioned to answer this question are women who have not only succeeded, but broken barriers and changed industries in the process.
Here, Sheryl Sandberg, Shonda Rhimes and other successful women share their strategies for climbing the career ladder:
1. Shonda Rhimes: Start doing what you want to do today